The Unthinkable
by DaughterofWolf
Summary: When The Flock gets captured by the school, Max just can't seem to have a successful breakout. In her last move, will the flock make it out? Will Max have to risk her life to save them? Max P.O.V
1. Captured

Hey everyone. PLEASE go easy on me. I'm new here & this is my first Fan Fiction. All right, here goes nothing.

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. JP does.**

_Pain is just a message, & I choose to ignore it._

I've been thinking the same thing ever since the unthinkable happened.

***Flashback***

"Time for bed guys! I'll take first watch, Fang has second, Iggy you have third. Got it?" They all nod tiredly.

We had found a cave nice & hidden in the mountainside. Iggy & Gazzy had set a fire so we could all eat God knows what on a stick. Now, everyone but Fang & me settled in. I swear they were asleep before their heads hit the ground.

I sighed & Fang walked over to sit behind me. He rubbed my shoulders & right between my wings. My head dropped slightly. It felt good. Ugh, I did **not** just think that. Silently, Fang stood, lifted my head, kissed my forehead, & left to his own dark corner. More confused then ever, I flew out of the cave & onto the top of the mountain. Leaves to my right crackled, but they sounded to light to be human or Eraser, so I dismissed it as a deer. I heard a high-pitched ring & then my right shoulder exploded in pain. When I looked down, there was blood (a lot) dripping down my shirt & a…bullet hole! Dang it! I ducked back down into the cave, hissing at the pain. Just as I was going to (literally) kick Fang awake, my head felt like it burst, & I dropped like a rag doll.

***End of Flashback***


	2. The School

Sorry it took me so long to update. I had school, homework, horseback riding, & a party all this week. All right. Here's Chapter 2. R&R people!

**Disclaimer: JP owns Maximum Ride, not me. *Sniffle***

Max POV

I wake up, only to shut my eyes again. Slowly, I open them. A bright light shines on me. Ouch. My whole body aches, but I still look around. No. The bright lights, the smell, the _cages_. I'm back at The School.

'Max, I'm scared,' Angel whimpers in my head.

I do a double take of the room. _My Flock _is in the cages.  
Nudge, Gazzy, & Angel stare around the room in terror while Fang & Iggy (even though he's blind) stare in pure revulsion. That's my guys. I start to get up & agony tears through my.

"Max!" the little kids yell.

I bite my lip, hard, to stop myself from crying out. An electrical shock just went through my body. My wrists & ankles were bound to the metal table I'm laying on. The table is in the metal room with 3 cages to my left & 2 to my right. The only exit is 1 door, which most likely has locks, guards, alarms, or God-knows-what on it.

I meet eyes with Fang. His eyes widen slightly when he sees the resolve in my eyes.

"Max-" he starts, but he's too late. I strain against the chains/cuffs holding me down. **(AN: I forgot what they're really called) **As I bite my lip, I taste blood, but I ignore it. Electricity rams through me as I fight against the restraints & the blackness trying to take me. Finally, the one around my right wrist breaks. I use my freed hand to undo all the others & I stumble over to Fang's cage. As I start to unlock it, I hear the door click. Oh no!

"Quick, duck behind my cage," Fang says quietly. I follow his instructions. Two pairs of footsteps enter the room, and then stop.

"WHERE'S MAXIMUM?" a voice roars. The footsteps come over to Fang's cage & duck down. I recognize the man as Dr. Carol. I used to always tease him about his name.

"Well Fang where's that pretty little girlfriend of yours? She ditch you already? I can't say I'm surprised, I mean-" he's cut off when I roar with rage & jump out from behind Fang's cage. I do a side kick to his temple & he's out. Good. Now only one more. I look up to see Ari.

"Come on Max, let your flock out & I can help you," he whispers quickly.

I don't answer, just break open the cages to my flock. Angel hugs my waste & says in my mind, 'You can trust him. He's trying to help us escape.'

"Okay Ari. Lead the way," I say.

**AN: Sorry it's so short, but I liked to end the chapter at that. I'll try my best to update soon. Byes!**


	3. Goodbye

Hey guys, I'm not going to lie to you. I just didn't feel the need to update like I did at first, but now I do. So, here's Chapter 3!

**Disclaimer (done by JP's very own FANG!):**

"**JP owns the Maximum Ride series and all that goes with it. There. Happy?"**

"**That. Was. BEAUTIFUL!" I scream.**

MAX P.O.V

"Okay Ari. Lead the way," I say.

"Alright but let me tell you now. It may take awhile because there are a LOT of halls that go this way and that. Plus-"

"Let's go Ari," I say, scary calm. Ari gulps but leads us out the door. He takes us through halls & halls, telling us to stop every once and awhile so he could listen if there were any people coming. There weren't. Yet, anyways. Angel grabbed onto my hand & held tight. She is a tough mutant but she still is my baby. You can't blame her. She's only 6 and she's been through WAY more than you, who is staring at a computer screen, reading this.

Anyway, Ari quietly told us that when we round this corner, there would be an exit. We were to run out it & not look back. Everyone nodded, but me. I had the sense something bad would happen to Ari, my only blood brother. I'm not sure if I could let that occur, Eraser or not.

When we round the corner, it's blocked. By about 20 Erasers. With guns. That were currently aimed at us. There goes our plan. Fang muttered something under his breath that probably wasn't appropriate for the younger kids. I elbow him in the side to get his attention. His eyes snap up to mine. I flick my eyes to the window on the left side of the hall. He looks down, then back up as our inconspicuous way of nodding.

Quickly, we run into the mass of Erasers, ducking low as to not get shot. The two of us take down as many as we can, which are only about 8 considering we weren't REALLY fighting them. I run along the line of the window and as the Erasers shoot at me, it hits the window causing it to break on impact. Yes! Just how I planned it! I look at the younger kids, still running, & flick my head to the window. Gazzy taps Iggy's hand & together Angel, Nudge, Gazzy, & Iggy jump out the window & fly up. I duck behind the corner & Fang pops up next to me, panting.

"You hurt at all?" I ask quickly, trying not to think about how hot his hair is even slicked back with sweat & not to mention how muscular his arms are-NO MAX, BAD!

"Course not, I'm Fang," he smirks at the end & I resist the urge to smack him. Just then Ari round the corner, limping.

"Did they hit you?" I exclaim.

"Yea, in the leg. Hurts bad but I can still walk," he replies.

"Good. Now ALL 3 of us are going to run out the window & do a U & A. Got it? Good."

"1," Fang says.

"2." Ari says a little louder.

"3!" I yell. We all run as fast as we can but are immediately grabbed by Erasers. We struggle, but it's no use. They have back up, we don't.

"Maximum comes with us," Jeb says, rounding the corner.

"No. No way in-" Fang almost yells, but I cut him off.

"Fine," I say quietly, but it's enough to shut everyone up.

"What? Are you INSANE?" Fang yells.

I face Jeb. "I'll come with you on one condition."

"What's the condition?" he asks, seeming a little excited.

"ALL my Flock, PLUS Ari go free and you will never, EVER try to harm them or capture them again whether it's you or your little mechanical slaves."

Jeb grinned. "You have yourself a deal. We never needed them anyway. They were purely to help you grow." He snaps his fingers and the Erasers drop Fang & Ari. Fang starts toward me but an Eraser stops him. I glance warily at Jeb & he calls them off. Fang approaches me.

"Why?" he says softly.

"I just can't stand to see you guys hurt anymore," I answer.

"I would be o-" I stand on my tiptoes & press my lips to his for, most likely, the last time. He's still for a minute, then pulls me closer and kisses me back. I tangle my fingers in his hair just like I've wanted to do since we were little, & tears slide down my face as memories flash by my eyes. Jeb breaking us out. Fang flying for the first time. Fang kissing me for the first time. Fang helping me, soothing me during my brain explosions. Fang ALWAYS there to catch me if I fall. Fang, Fang, Fang. I'll miss him. I love him SO much. But WHY do I have to figure that out NOW, when I'm LEAVING him? I think Fang was thinking the same because his tears mixed with mine. Slowly, he pulled away.

"I love you, always have, always will," he whispers.

"I know," I whisper back, "I feel the same way."

His eyes widen slightly as he kisses me softly, so sweetly that I wish I could've stayed like that forever. But I couldn't.

"Let's go Maxie, we have work to do," Jeb says.

I growl slightly, causing Fang to smile, lighting up my world, then causing it to crash down as he pulls away from my embrace. With one last, long look I turn my back on him, possibly seeing him for the last time in my life, which mat not go on much longer. If I'm EXTREMELY lucky, I might see the Flock again, even if only in my dreams. I'll miss them with my whole heart & I'll never be whole without the Flock, without FANG. My heart twinges. I don't know how I'll live without him. I can't, I just can't.

Goodbye Flock. I'll find a way to see you again, safe or otherwise.

**A/N: SO sad, It was hard to write this chapter at midnight but I pulled through for you guys. Love you all, R & R!**


	4. Fox wait, WHAT!

18/04/2011 20:36:00

**AN: SO sorry I haven't updated. Tests are coming up, birthday parties have been happening (including mine!), and projects I need to finish.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not a guy & my initials are not JP, therefore I do NOT own MR, very sad, I know.**

_Previously on __The Unthinkable__:_

_"Maximum comes with us," Jeb says, rounding the corner._

_"Fine," I say quietly, but it's enough to shut everyone up._

_I face Jeb. "I'll come with you on one condition."_

_"What's the condition?" he asks, seeming a little excited._

_"ALL my Flock, PLUS Ari go free and you will never, EVER try to harm them or capture them again whether it's you or your little mechanical slaves."_

_Jeb grinned. "You have yourself a deal. We never needed them anyway. They were purely to help you grow." He snaps his fingers and the Erasers drop Fang & Ari._

_"Let's go Maxi, we have work to do," Jeb says._

_I growl slightly, causing Fang to smile, lighting up my world, then causing it to crash down as he pulls away from my embrace. With one last, long look I turn my back on him, possibly seeing him for the last time in my life, which might not go on much longer. If I'm EXTREMELY lucky, I might see the Flock again, even if only in my dreams. I'll miss them with my whole heart & I'll never be whole without the Flock, without FANG. My heart twinges. I don't know how I'll live without him. I can't, I just can't._

_Goodbye Flock. I'll find a way to see you again, safe or otherwise._

**Chapter 4:**

**MAX POV**

They throw me into my cage & I pant, exhausted. They just ran me on the treadmill for 11 HOURS! Plus, after that, they ran me through the maze where if you stop, you get shocked. It sucked, bad. I've only been here one day and I feel like I NEED to escape. Ugh. Every time I can think, my thoughts drift to the Flock in some way or another. I miss them a lot and wonder how they're holding together. My mind snaps back to reality as Jeb comes in with an evil smirk.

"Ready to become part Fox?" he asks in a menacing voice, taking a needle out from behind his back. He slowly stalks toward me and when he reaches my cage, I don't struggle. It will only make it worse. They will only run me harder & not feed me. So, I sit there as he jabs the needle into the inside of my elbow none-to-carefully but I keep my emotionless mask on. Wow, Fang is rubbing off on me. _Fang_, my heart twinges again. The chemical Jab injected coldly spreads through my veins.

My blood-curdling scream echoes through the whole state probably, but (for once) I didn't care.

**FANG POV**

I'm the leader of the flock now. It always pains me to wake up & hear silence rather then Nudge's chatter in the kitchen. Iggy's cooking got worse, but still good. Angel locks herself in her room all the time & Gazzy hasn't built one bomb. We're all falling apart. I STILL couldn't believe Max would sacrifice herself for us, for ME. Plus, she admitted she loved me. I was extremely happy, and then Jeb interrupted us. I almost ripped his head from his shoulders. Ever since then I don't blog, don't sleep, BARELY eat, & never fly. When I try, it feels like my right wing is ripped off my back & I just cant stay in the sky. I have no resolve. No reason to live but the lingering idea of freeing Max. Well, also Max would kill me AGAIN if I killed myself.

I can't take it anymore. I've decided that tomorrow night I'm going to go save Max, with or without the Flock. I'm coming Max! Just hold on!

**MAX POV**

My heart beat a million miles an hour as it quickly spread the chemical through my body. Quicker then I thought possible, my body temperature went from burning to freezing to burning to…you get the point. Cracks fill the air as my bones shift & move. Human screams & animalistic whines rip their way up my throat. Jeb watches with fascination, along with 3 other whitecoats taking notes on their clipboards. About an hour ago I had collapsed on the ground, in pain & even more exhausted then before. Finally, one more MAJOR shudder goes through my body & the pain stops. As I pant, my tongue hangs out the side of my mouth, my tail droops, &…wait, WHAT! I lift my head to see the whitecoats staring in awe. When I look at myself, I see a small red fox with black paws, a white tipped tail, and otherwise red-orange fur. I wonder what my face looks like. Slowly, I struggle to my feet & Jeb walks over & opens my cage. Carefully, I walk, adjusting to my now 4 legs. Jeb takes a sheet off a tall mirror. I walk over. When I look at my face I see deep, ocean blue eyes, hidden in the depths of the animal that is I. I have a black muzzle, black ears with white tips, & a white chest. I whine. The 3 whitecoats with Jeb open the door to leave, & right then I didn't care how tired I was. I ran. Out the door & weaving through the halls. The ground blurs under my feet & I race out a door that an Eraser was leaving through. I run & run to the only place I want to go.

The Flock.


	5. I'm Home

**SO ****sorry for not updating! I'm a lousy updater & I've been traveling until…2-3 days ago. So here's a longer chapter for ya.**

**Disclaimer: Me no gotsa no MR.**

_Max POV_

I run through the forest, barely dodging trees. Leaves crackle under my paws as I run.

_SNAP!_

Pain shoots up my front left leg & I collapse. Every time I struggle, the pain just gets worse.

So, I use my last option, praying it works.

I howl.

_Nudge, Angel. __Please__ hear me._

_Angel POV_

I was laying in a tree, about a mile from the house our Flock agreed to meet at if we ever got separated. My wings were stretched out & I was letting my thoughts loose. I miss Max. She's a mom to me & I don't want to lose her.

Suddenly, I hear a long, pained howl. I couldn't hear that any longer so I fly as fast as I can to where it's coming from.

In a small clearing I find a fox stuck in a hunter's trap. The trap is digging into its front left ankle & I run forward to release it. As I get closer, I gasp. The fox is bright red with black paws & muzzle, a white chest & tipped tail, & finally, it has black ears with a white tip. Also, her eyes are a deep blue that draw you in. Quickly I snap out of my reverie & release the trap. I turn around & start home, excited to tell Nudge what happened.

I hear footsteps behind me & turn to see the fox following closely. This continues until I'm all the way home.

But once the house is in sight the fox races past me, towards the house.

"Oh no," I mutter under my breath. "This won't go well"

_Max POV_

I ignored my hurt leg & bounded to the other side of the house. My heart pounded as I took in all the scents including…Fang's! Quickly, I hopped through an open window (I'll have to scold the flock about that when I get human again), but yelped when my injured leg tried to take the impact. Key word, _tried_. I collapsed into a table & accidentally made it wobble, along with the lamp on it.

_Don't fall, don't fall, don't-__**CRASH!**_

__The glass shattered as it hit the floor._ Dang it!_ Footsteps stomped down the stairs. They turned the corner, holding a gun & in attack mode. I froze.

Fang.

**END!**

**Jk!**

When he saw "me", he lowered the gun, but looked cautious. He looked pale & there were dark bags under his eyes. 3 more sets of footsteps came towards us. Nudge, Gaz, & Ig turned the corner. I started to run to them, excited, but before I reached them Fang lifted the gun. Quickly, I sat down and froze.

"OMG! It's so cute! I love its blue eyes & look at its fur! I wish my hair was that red color. I don't know, it kinda reminds me of that girl you kissed when we went to school, Fang. What was her name? Missy? Nissa? OH YEAH! Lissa! Ew, I hated her! Maybe just highlights would look better. But look at its leg! It's bleeding! The poor thing! Fang, can we please, please keep it!"

Can you guess who said that?

If you said Fang, you're stupid.

Everyone gaped.

"Nudge, you haven't said that much ever since…you know," Iggy said, his voice quieting at the end. Gazzy & Fang nodded.

What did I do to the flock?

Angel rushed in the door. "Don't hurt her!" she yelled. Then she saw what was happening. "Oh."

"Nudge, I have something to tell you," Fang said.

"Yea?" she replied, looking confused.

He looked deep in my eyes & half smiled. My heart skipped but panged with sadness because I knew that he didn't know it was me. "We can keep her," he said, waking me from my own thoughts.

Nudge & Angel squealed while Gaz & Ig whooped. I ran over to Fang & pranced around his legs, wagging my tail.

"Where's she gonna sleep?" Gaz asks.

"Uhh…where ever she wants," Fang replies.

"Kay."

"Nudge, Gaz, & Ig I need you to go shopping for dinner. Angel, set the table. I'm gonna work with the fox."

"Aye aye!" Everyone yelled and saluted. Feeling left out, I barked & all of them stared, mesmerized.

"Wow, that was beautiful," Angel murmured.

"Yea, your right," Fang agreed.

WEIRD LINE BREAK

Everyone went off to do what Fang said while he used a rope to lead me out into the back area. It's just an open field with the forest a little while behind. Suddenly, he turned to me.

"Sit," he commanded. I sat.

"Lay down." I lay down.

"Roll over." I rolled over.

"Jump." I jumped, but this was getting annoying.

"Dance." I sat there & gave him a look that said, _Seriously?_

Fang laughed under his breath & sat down. I walked closer & sat down again. He started stroking my head to my back.

"You remind me so much of…Max," he said softly.

I whined & nuzzled his side. _If only you knew._

He coughed & shifted. "Let's have a look at that leg." He held his hand out & I quickly placed my injured leg in his grasp.

"That's not possible," he gasped under his breath.

I look at my leg & see only a scar winding around where there used to be a deep gash. My eyes glance up at Fang, who's staring at me, incredulous. I remove my leg from his grasp & lope towards the house as I hear the door open.

"A little help!" Iggy shouts.

I run up & see all 3 of them struggling with TONS of bags. So, being me, I jog up & use my mouth to grasp the handles of about 7 of the bags. Slow & steady, I make my way to the kitchen & sit them down carefully, the Flock following close behind. When I turn around, they're all staring. Angel skips in.

"What should we name her?" she asks.

"Max," Fang blurts, then slaps a hand over his mouth.

"So I'm not the only one who thinks the fox resembles Max?"

"No. She's got Max's attitude."

I humph. Fang rolls his eyes & Angel sits down next to me. I lick her cheek & nuzzle her.

She giggles & says, "Max fits perfectly."

Everyone nods & Iggy said he should get to work on dinner. Angel goes to help, Nudge goes to read a magazine, Gaz goes to his room, & Fang goes to his own room. I stand in the hallway, and then bolt upstairs. I run to my room & whine when I realize I can't open the door. Since I won't be able to get in, I go to Fang's room & Nudge open the already partially open door. **(AN: hehheh, see what I did there? Oh, never mind.) **Fang looks up from his bed, startled. He's laying/sitting on his bed, which has a wood frame & black sheets & pillows. His walls are grey (I forced him to get a color & THAT'S what he chose!) & his ceiling is black. Otherwise, he has a bedside table, desk, & a black acoustic guitar. That's it. Wow.

Anyway, I walk up to him & whine. Then, I walk to the door & turn back. He's just looking at me blankly. I roll my eyes & walk back to him. Very softly, I take his wrist in my mouth & tug a little bit. Finally, he gets the message & sets down his laptop. At least, I THOUGHT he got the message until his hand came towards me & slapped my nose!

I yelped & scrambled back, into a wall. When I hit the wall, I run out. Suddenly, a thought hits me.

I send out my thoughts as best I can. _ Angel, sweetie?_

_MAX? You're back! _Angel thinks back.

_In a sense. Don't tell ANYONE & meet me outside my room. Open the door._

Her footsteps pound up the stairs & down the hall. She sees me & looks confused, but opens the door. I walk in.

_Max? Where are you? _Angel sends out.

_The fox in front of you IS me Angel. Jeb made me a fox/avian/human hybrid. I just don't know how to change back to human again. _I think back.

_I'm so sorry Max. But I'm glad you're home._

_Just don't tell anyone. Not until I figure this out._

_You sure?_

_Yes. It's what I want._

_Okay, I promise I won't tell them._

_All right. Thank you._

_You're welcome._

_Please leave me to think._

_Okay, bye Mom._

_Bye Hun. _I smile the best I can.

She skips out of my room. My room has silver walls with black designs & a black ceiling. Plus, one of my walls is a full window that slides to one side & leads to a large balcony. My bed has a painting of wings & MAX over it done by (drum roll!) Fang! Not who you were expecting, huh? My bed has a light wood frame, comfy mattress, & black sheets with white polka dots. The pillows are black & white as well. Also in my room is a desk with a MacBook Air & my IPod Dock that currently is charging my IPhone, a red drum set, a dark wood acoustic guitar, & a bookcase that, if you pull out the right book, will open out, leading to another room.

_Where'd you get the money? _you ask?

Jeb. Well, technically, handy-dandy-limitless credit card, but whatever.

I jump onto my bed & close my eyes. I haven't been on a real bed for…I don't know how long.

WEIRD LINE BREAK

"Max…Max…MAX!"

I bolt up & growl, but cower when I see Fang's face in front of me.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I scared you & earlier, I don't know what you were doing, but I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose," he says, his face softening.

Happy, I jog up to him & lick his cheek. He laughs & hugs me with one arm.

"Anyway, I came to tell you that dinner's ready," he says once he pulls back.

My tongue lolls out the side of my mouth & I quickly bolt down the stairs. Fang follows close after me. When I get down there, everyone else is already seated.

Dinner went easy. We ALL had steak, rice, broccoli, & biscuits. I felt spoiled as a fox, but not as a human. Fang & everyone kept reaching over & stroking me as I ate under the table by Total, who kept glancing at me. I hadn't seen him since I was here. I would have to ask Angel about that. Them stroking me felt good, but a little awkward.

Now, we all are saying goodnight in the living room. Everyone hugs me & I lick each on the cheek.

Angel looks at Fang innocently. "How are we gonna know where Max wants to sleep?" 

Fang smirks. "I've got an idea." He kneels down to my eye level & stares straight at me. Unafraid, I stare back, curious.

"You have the WHOLE house. Choose where you want to sleep, lay down, & bark. We'll follow the sound & find you. _Anywhere _is fine," Fang says softly.

Quickly, I run up the stairs two at a time & go to…

**AN: CLIFFHANGER! I'll update as soon as I can, but I'm not sure when that will be since I'm sharing the computer with my brother…**


	6. Fax With A Touch Of Fox &Human?

** I'm BACK! Here's the next chapter that I felt compelled to write quickly after a comment threatening to send something after me if I don't update in 3 days…(u know who u r). That really got me moving along. I would hav updated sooner, but my cousins were over & my mom didn't want me on the computer…**

**Btw, for all of u who have questions like, where are Max's wings, I thought she had brown eyes, not blue, etc. the story WILL explain itself, so enjoy my story.**

_**Btw, does anyone know of a time in the books that this would fit? I don't have my books with me.**_

**R & R!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot…(sigh)**

_Last time on The Unthinkable_

_Fang looked deep into my eyes & half-smiled. "We can keep her."_

"_You remind me so much of…Max," Fang said._

_Fang held out his hand & I quickly placed my injured paw in his grasp. "That's not possible," he gasped under his breath. I looked at my leg & saw only a scar winding around it._

"_What should we name her?" Angel asks. "Max," Fang blurts, then slaps a hand over his mouth. "Max fits perfectly."_

_**Max? Where are you? **_**The fox in front of you ****is**** me Angel. Just don't tell anyone.**

"_How are we gonna know where she wants to sleep?" Angel asks. Fang says to me, "You have this whole house. Choose where you want to sleep." I run up the stairs two at a time and go to…_

_**Max POV**_

…Fang's room. I jump onto his bed and curl up on one of his pillows. Soon, my bark rings through the house. Six sets of footsteps run up the stairs, one set having four legs. They come closer until they're right in the doorway.

"Aww! Looks like Fang has a pet!" Angel & Nudge squeal.

"Ya, Iggy," Fang says, smirking.

"Hey!" Iggy yells while my tail wags, thumping against the bed.

"Alright, alright. Off to sleep, exciting day tomorrow," Fang says.

"How so?" Angel asks.

"You'll see…"

They all leave to their rooms & Fang follows to make sure they actually go to bed.

**********PAGE BREAK*********

After about twenty minutes, Fang comes back & launches him onto the bed. Of course, I was still laying on the pillow. His head hit my ribcage, but it didn't hurt. Undoubtedly, he didn't know it was me because he…cuddled closer? **(AN: It's so odd using the word Fang & cuddled in the same sentence…) **i turned my head around & licked his temple lovingly. At first he tensed, but then he relaxed.

"You know, I haven't flown since we got to this house," Fang sighed.

_WHAT? _I whined, a little loud, and nudged him to keep going.

"Lately, I've been wanting to fly. Since we found you, my wings have been itching to stretch and spread."

I nuzzled his hair, but sneezed when it tickled my nose. Fang chuckled and sat up. Watching him closely, he opened the window, then hesitated. Before I could register what was happening, he rushed over, picked me up, and flung us both out the window. I howled as quiet as I could through the shock.

The stars were bright and the full moon seemed two-three days off. Looking down, I saw the forest glinting in the moonlight. It was stunning. When I looked straight ahead, the wind from flying made my eyes water slightly, but it was still fun. I would have let my tongue hang out like those dogs in the movies, but I didn't want to drool considering it would just hit Fang. Then again…no. Bad Max.

After about 10 minutes, we reached a large cliff face with a dark shadow in one area. Fang flies straight toward the shadow and as we get closer, I realize it's actually a deep cave. We land lightly on the edge & I would gasp if I could. Inside were torches reflecting light on the cave walls, multiple bean bags, a fire pit in the middle, and some plastic bins that seemed to be holding different items or spare clothes. Gently, Fang put me down on the ground and took an armful or so of logs from a pile in the back that I didn't see before. Using those logs and some of Nudge's magazines (which she SO won't be happy about when she find that they're missing and being used for this), he got a large, warm fire started. While he got it bigger and added some weird salts, I pulled a deep red bean bag closer to the warmth. I curled up on the chair and looked up to see a red, blue, and green fire. Behind it stood Fang, grinning like a maniac, a cute maniac, but a maniac.

"I wasn't sure if it was gonna work or not, but I guess it does," Fang murmured quietly. I nod my head the best I can, which isn't much, but Fang understood. He drags the black bean bag over next to me and sits down, stroking my fur. Suddenly, he laid his upper body across my bean bag, right behind me, so his soft hair tickled my cheek. I moved my head farther back so it was tucked in the crook of his neck.

"Thank you," he whispered into my ear. I tilted my head against his neck and he understood the message, _Why are you thanking me?_

"I'm thanking you because you got me to fly again and it seems like you understand everything I'm saying. I've never felt this in sync with someone since the Max you're named after. Max…she was my everything. The first moment I saw her, she had my heart. The only other thing I cared about was the Flock. Well, that and living, but the only reason I even lived was for them. Max was beautiful. I wish you could have met her. She would _love_ you. Her hair could never decide if it was blonde or brown, but it represented her. So complex, yet so simple, it was mesmerizing._ She_ was mesmerizing. Her eyes were such a deep brown. The kids said it was "un-barfed chocolate" color but I always thought it was a "sorrel-amber" color. I know, I'm a poet, right? Anyway, Max was fit and muscled, but not over muscled, just toned. She's tall for a girl, but it seemed normal for her. I mean, she used to be taller than me but one day, or more like month, I got a growth spurt and grew past her, **WAY **past her. Now she's about seven inches shorter than me. But even when I tower over her, she never gets scared. That's another complex thing about her. Give her Erasers or Flyboys, no problem. Give her a game of Truth or Dare? She'll squirm more than a worm. That was a weird comparison. Anyway, I just miss her SO-Max!"

I had yelped, interrupting him. My back was flaring with pain and heat. It felt as though my back was on _fire._ I had only felt this pain once in my entire life and that was when I was getting my-Oh no.

I was growing wings._Again!_

Fang rushed off his bean bag and crouched next to me. He whispered things to me, but I couldn't hear him. My blood was rushing and I could hear it loudly pounding in my ears. Pain ripped across my skin, literally. I felt the wings rip through my back and the only thing I could do was howl as loud as I could.

After it was done, I lay on the ground, panting. Fang grabbed a cloth and a water bottle out from the bins then walked over to me. I faintly heard him whisper, "This might hurt," and then he poured some water onto the area around my wings. I whimpered at the sting, then relaxed when it started to just feel good. Lightly, Fang dabbed at it with the cloth, but it didn't hurt. He didn't say anything while doing this, but I think he was just absorbing what happened. I mean, a fox with wings? It would make sense if he knew it was _me, _but he doesn't.

"Another mutant. An _animal _mutant. They actually sunk even lower. I can't believe it. Relax, you'll be okay. I'll take care of you," Fang says soothingly. My eyes start to droop so he picks me up and puts me on his beanbag. Then he grabs something from the bin and comes to sit next to me. I curl into him as he drapes a blanket over us, blocking the slight chill that I knew would get colder and stronger throughout the night. No matter how tired I was, I couldn't seem to actually fall asleep.

"Having trouble falling asleep?" he asks. I nod. "You want me to sing a song?" I nod again.

"This is called I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab For Cutie. **(AN: I don't own it!)**

Love of mine some day you will die  
But I'll be close behind  
I'll follow you into the dark

No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white  
Just our hands clasped so tight  
Waiting for the hint of a spark  
If Heaven and Hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark

In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule  
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black  
And I held my tongue as she told me  
"Son fear is the heart of love"  
So I never went back

If Heaven and Hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark

You and me have seen everything to see  
From Bangkok to Calgary  
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down  
The time for sleep is now  
It's nothing to cry about  
'cause we'll hold each other soon  
In the blackest of rooms

If Heaven and Hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the No's on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark  
Then I'll follow you into the dark"

My last thought that night was 'I love you Fang.'

*********LINE BREAK*********

When I wake up, the sun is rising into the sky and two strong arms are locked around my waist. I look behind me to see Fang sleeping. He looks peaceful and he's even slightly smiling. I turn back around and look down at his arms around my…human waist. I'm HUMAN again! Softly, I grab Fang's arms and pull them away from me, jumping up in the process. When I had turned back to human, I was put back in the clothes I was in. so basically, I'm wearing ripped up, shredded, bloodied, and disgustingly dirty rags for clothes. Seeing that Fang was sleeping peacefully, I took off to the house. Once I get there, I sneak through my window & walk into the bathroom. I shed the dirty clothes and take a _long _shower, wiping the mud and blood off of me, washing my hair a million times, and just relaxing my muscles. After I finished, I snuck into my room and put on clothes. I decided on black skinny jeans, black combat boots, a black shirt that said "I'm Back! Get used to it…" in red writing, & a black leather jacket. Before I put them on I walked to the mirror and gasped at what I saw. My brown/blonde hair now had red streaks in it, like the color of me as a fox. One of my eyes was still brown and the other was now the deep blue of my fox form. I stretched out my wings and saw that they were brown, white, black, and red. The red represented my fox fur, the black represented my paws, muzzle, and ears, and the white represented the one white area on my chest. Finally, I put on my clothes and used a pocketknife to cut slits for my wings. I pushed my wings out the slits carefully and launched myself out the window, headed back to the cave.

It felt so amazing to stretch my wings and fly. I don't know how long it's been since I flew. I never flew in the School, so I guess I haven't flown as long as Fang, plus a day. I'll have to ask him how long it's been because time just passes in the School. Nobody there keeps track. They just say Hour whatever.

Anyway, I reach the cave and land lightly. Fang is still sleeping. I don't think he even moved yet. I walk over and sit next to him, careful not to wake him up. I gently run my hand along his cheek, unable to stop myself from touching him. My hand continues across his mouth, up his other cheek, and across him forehead. Then, I rest my hand on his jaw line. That flawless jaw line that I can never get enough of. Slowly, Fang's dark, beautiful eyes opened. I stare right at those amazing eyes I had missed so much. I watched the emotion in those eyes go from asleep, to half awake, to awake, to shocked, to amazed, and to love.

"Hey Fang. Long time no see huh?" I say, smiling.

His mouth drops to the floor. Not literally, that'd be gross. But his jaw drops. He snaps his jaw shut and runs a hand up my cheek, cupping my face. "You're alive. You're HERE. Oh my god, Max." As he says this last sentence, he pulls me into a hug, almost crushing me, but I wasn't even close to caring. I threw my arms around him and breathed in his woodsy scent. He pulled back after a while and stared into my eyes.

"Max, why do you have one blue eye and one brown eye?" he asks.

"Umm…I swear, I will explain everything at home, with everyone. Just please be patient. For me."

He sighs. "Fine. Fine. But in return you have to let me do," he lowered his mouth to my neck, "anything I want to you." He kissed my neck and I gasped at his words. Suddenly, he pressed his lips to mine. His soft lips moved against mine, perfectly in sync once again. He bit down lightly on my lip, asking for entrance. I opened my mouth _very _slightly, teasing. Fang growled and bit down on my lip, hard. I gasped more at the shock then the fact that my lip was now bleeding. The person who bit my lip was currently exploring my mouth with his tongue. When his tongue brushed over mine, I gasped but let him continue. Only when his hands wandered to the hem of my shirt did I pull back.

"I love you Fang, but I'm not ready. We're only 15," I murmur softly. **(AN: They had a birthday at some point.) **

"I love you too maximale, mon doux amour," he replies, voice husky.

"What language is that?" I ask, confused.

"French."

"What did it mean?"

"You really wanna know?" I nod. "You really REALLY wanna know?" I nod more. "You really rea-" I cut him short with a hard kiss. He groans and I pull back, him almost whining.

I lean down close to his face. "Yes Fang. I **really **want to know." I pull back, sitting up.

He sighs. "Fine the whole sentence was 'I love you too Maximum, my sweet love."

I kiss his cheek and smile against it. "I knew it was French and I knew what it meant. I just wanted to hear you say it."

He chuckled and said lightly, "You're so gonna get it." He went to pin me to the ground, but I held up my hand.

"I wanna sing something for you real quick."

His eyes widened some. "You can sing?"

I slapped his head. "Shut it. Okay, this is called I Miss You" **(AN: By Basshunter, me no own it.)**

Hey, I don't wanna feel the way that I do  
I just wanna be right here with you  
I don't wanna see, see us apart  
I just wanna tell you straight from my heart

I don't wanna feel the way that I do  
I just wanna be right here with you  
I don't wanna see, see us apart  
I just wanna tell you straight from my heart  
I miss you, I miss you

I can't sleep, I just can't breathe  
When your shadow is all over me  
Don't wanna be a fool in your eyes  
When all we had was built on lies

I don't wanna feel the way that I do  
I just wanna be right here with you  
I don't wanna see, see us apart  
I just wanna tell you straight from my heart  
I miss you

Oh, I miss you  
I miss you, I miss you, I miss you  
[ From: . ]

What would it take for you to see?  
To make you wanna stand that I always believe  
You and I can make it through  
You still know I can't get over you

I don't wanna feel the way that I do  
I just wanna be right here with you  
I don't wanna see, see us apart  
I just wanna tell you straight from my heart

I don't wanna feel the way that I do  
I just wanna be right here with you  
I don't wanna see, see us apart  
I miss you, I miss you

I don't wanna feel the way that I do  
I just wanna be right here with you  
I don't wanna see, see us apart  
I just wanna tell you straight from my heart

I don't wanna feel the way that I do  
I just wanna be right here with you  
I don't wanna see, see us apart  
I miss you, I miss you, I miss you

Fang pulled me in for a long, sweet kiss full of love, not lust or need. "That was beautiful, your voice is beautiful, _you_ are beautiful."

I loved him so much and never wanted to leave, but we had to get back, or the Flock would start to worry. Suddenly, Fang cursed under his breath. I looked at him questioningly but he just muttered to himself, "Where'd the dang fox go?"

I put a hand on his shoulder, smiled, and said, "Don't worry about her. She's safe and with the one she loves most." **(AN: I hear you people in the back going, "AWWWWW!" cut it out. It hurts my ears.)**

After that, we took off, back to the house. Fang told me that they should be eating breakfast now and I smiled, ecstatic to see my family again. I'm pretty sure that Fang sensed my enthusiasm because he increased his flying speed and I hurried to do the same. Before long, our safe house came into view. I sped up even more and ducked in my window, rolling to a stop (literally). As I bolted downstairs, I heard Fang come in my window and race behind me. I crept into the kitchen, where everyone was eating and casually grabbed bacon off Iggy's plate. Everyone but Iggy snickered and simultaneously said, "Nice one Fa-MAX!" They all screamed and rushed up to hug me, almost knocking me over. I hugged them back and planted a kiss on all of their foreheads. Nudge and Angel hugged me tighter, Gaz said "ew, girl cooties" and backed off, while Iggy slowly got out of his chair and moved to where the talking was coming from.

"Is it really you Max?" he asked, trying not to get his hopes up. Angel and Nudge backed off, quieting.

I smiled a sad smile, seeing the dark bags under his eyes. "Yea. It really is, Ig," I reply softly.

His face breaks into a grin and seems to glow with happiness. He runs up, hugs me, and spins me around in a circle. We had always shared a close sibling relationship. We could tell each other anything. He puts me down and hugs me tight.

"I've missed you," he whispered in my ear.

"I know, Ig. I know," I whisper back.

"Alright, alright. I've been patient. Now can we hear the story?" Fang's voice startles us slightly.

"Okay, fine. Let's go to the living room."

We all head into the living room. Iggy sits in the recliner, Gaz sits on the floor with Angel laying down with her head in his lap, Total is curled up next to Angel, Nudge is sitting on the couch, and beside her is Fang. I stay standing, knowing I'm too tense to sit still. I take a deep breath.

"You all know that I stayed to protect you, right?" They all nodded. "Well, after I got you guys to leave, they took me into a large, dark room and locked me in a cage with steel bolt locks. I couldn't do anything to get out. They did the normal tests on me, running on the treadmill, running the maze, fighting as many Erasers as I can live through, flying with wind from a large fan, etc. you know the drill. Then suddenly, Jeb had an idea. Y not make a hybrid hybrid? So, he injected me with Fox DNA. I crumpled to the floor in pain and slowly…transformed. Into a live fox. But it was still me inside, just in a fox's body. Then the stupid white coats opened the door to leave and I ignored how tired I was and bolted out the door, through the maze of hallways, and out an exit an Eraser just happened to be opening. I ran all the way here, but got caught in a hunter's trap. You all know what happened from then on. My healing speed has increased a lot and I don't know when I transform or even if it's at my own will! I didn't want to signal u guys because I wanted to make sure there was no chance of me getting you guys hurt." Then I paused, done, but with one question. "Where's Ari?"

Fang flinched. "He went off on his own, upset about you and feeling like he didn't quite fit in with us. We've kept in touch, made sure he's alright, but…he just left."

"Oh. Alright. As long as you've kept in touch."

"So…you were the fox, Max, all along?"

"Yep. You guys chose the **perfect **name."

Fang half-smiled. "Yea. I guess we did."

I went serious. "Guys, I want revenge on them. Care to help?"

Iggy and Gazzy grinned evilly. Nudge and Angel grinned in general. Fang decided to speak his thoughts. "You need to rest. Plus, we should plan and prepare. Who knows what we are really going up against? We should wait…2 days. That's it. No more, no less." Everyone nodded.

"Fine. Two days. That's **IT.**"

_**R & R people!**_


	7. Revenge Part 1

**AN: alright, alright. Don't yell at me. My reason for not updating was that I literally forgot I had this story. I've been focused on school and keeping my grades up, when one day I got an email saying I had a review for my story. That popped the fact that I NEEDED to update back into my mind. **

**So, I'm sorry, but this is the first part of the REVENGE! (cackles madly)**

**Btw, thanks to one of my reviewers (mrs obsession) I have been told this story would probably take place after Saving The World and Other Extreme Sports. Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: "Iggy?"**

"**She doesn't own Maximum Ride"**

"**Thank you Igtard!"**

"**HEY!"**

The next two days were uneventful, considering Fang forced me into house arrest. You can imagine how I felt about that. We had quite a few arguments about me wanting to fly, but he would always win by kissing me so I couldn't think and automatically agreed with him. I hated that he found my weakness. Today was the day for revenge. We were going to plan until noon, eat a good lunch, then head out.

Slowly, I open my eyes to the sunlight streaming through my window. Comfortable arms are wrapped around my waist, and I glance at my shoulder to see Fang's peaceful sleeping face resting there. He looks unguarded when he is asleep and I love that so much. Sometimes I wish he would be this unguarded while awake, but not all wishes come true do they? I brush my lips against his forehead, raking my hand softly through his luscious hair. It curls around my fingers slightly and I giggle quietly. Fang's mesmerizing onyx eyes blink open tiredly and very slowly start to become aware of everything around him. When he looks at me, his eyes warm and he rubs his head deeper into my neck, his hair tickling. Warm lips kiss my neck and I sigh in happiness. I turn in his arms to face him and run my fingers up his black shirt. I peck his lips with my own softly, and then pull back.

"We have to get up," I whisper reluctantly, wanting to stay in the moment. Fang groans and sits up, pulling me with him. For a moment we just sit there, me cuddled in his lap with his arms around my waist, but we both startle when Ke$ha's voice blares in Nudge's room next to us. Both of us get up sluggishly and I look around Fang's black room. It always amazes me how he keeps his shade open instead of closing it and drowning the room in black. Carefully, I stretch my arms up, my (Fang's) T-shirt riding up slightly, and then settling back over my (actually mine) sweatpants. After one more kiss from a now shirtless (yummy!) Fang, I walk over to my own room.

Quickly, I take a hot shower, letting my muscles relax and my wings stretch. My back is still sore from having to grow wings again, but it's definitely better than before. After I dry off, I change into a pair of blood stained jeans and an old black T-shirt that might have been Fang's when we were around 12. I yank a brush through my hair, preparing myself to hit a knot. Surprisingly, I don't. The brush runs effortlessly through my silky smooth hair. I shrug, assuming it must be a fox thing. After pulling my hair back into a loose ponytail, I really look at myself. My nails had gotten slightly longer, my canine teeth are sharp, my eyes had returned to brown (though I think I saw slight specks of blue, but that may have been my imagination), and nothing else seems to have changed.

I slid down the stairways railing, landing on my feet with a thump. Everyone glances up from their breakfasts at the table for a second, and then goes back to inhaling their food. Walking past the table to the counter, I ruffle Gazzy's hair, kiss Angel's cheek, quickly hug Nudge, pat Ig's shoulder, and brush my hand across Fang's back. He shivers slightly and I smirk, grabbing a plate from the cabinet. Piling food onto it, I look hungrily at the pancakes, bacon, and hash browns.

Breakfast was quickly finished after I sat between Ig and Fang. My stomach rumbles happily as I walk to the living room. Last night, Nudge had hacked into the School's private website (they were such idiots to actually make one) and printed out a map of the general building, the air vents, and the large underground basement. The three maps lay on the room's table, slightly ominous. It just proves that we are seriously going to break into the School and take our revenge. This thought scares and excites me at the same time.

All 6 of us crowd around, Iggy stretching on the couch with Nudge at sitting at his feet, Gazzy on the camo beanbag chair with Angel next to him and Total curled at their feet. Meanwhile, Fang kneels on the ground on the opposite side of the table as the couch and the same side as Angel, Gazzy, and Total. I sit next to Fang, leaning against him with one of his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. Silently, Fang and I study the maps, glancing at each other ever so often to agree on something or disagree without a single word. Eventually (probably 20 minutes), we have a plan.

"Okay," I said in my 'leader voice'. Everyone snaps into focus, even Total. "Our plan is that I'm going to distract the guards that are no doubt at the entrance. While they're distracted, Fang is going to lead you guys to an air vent, Iggy is going to take up the back. You guys are going to follow the vent system until you reach the security room. There will be a big red button, no matter how cliché that is, and you press it. It will release all the mutants from their cages. That should distract the guards on me, and they'll run inside. That's when I'll come in and help. We have to get all the mutants out, keep all the guards in, all the while getting Gazzy and Iggy to almost all the rooms so they can put down trigger bombs. Once we're out, Iggy will press the button to set off the bombs." I pant slightly after my speech and I am once again amazed at how Nudge could possibly do that without losing her breath at all. Fang rubs his hand up and down my side comfortingly.

Everyone thinks it over, completely silent as they think it over and absorb it. Finally, Iggy and Gazzy burst into conversation about the bombs they need to make in the limited time. I smile softly as they look over at me. I nod, and they shoot up the stairs, causing Angel to almost fall over onto the beanbag. She catches herself, then she and Nudge converse quietly. Both of them slowly climb the stairs, Total following them silently.

Fang taps my chin with a finger of the hand not on my waist. I look over to him, brown meeting DARK brown. His eyes are warm and inviting, so much so that I could practically drown in them. I smile softly and he lets out a heavy sigh. My head tilts in confusion.

"What's wrong Fang?" I ask in a whisper.

"Are you sure?" he replies.

"Am I sure about what?" I question, confused.

"Are you sure you want to take on the guards by yourself?"

I nod firmly. "I'm absolutely sure."

His gaze cuts into mine, searching for any sense of hesitation. I guess he didn't find any, because he nodded in response, grabbing my hand and squeezing it lightly.

_*******LINE BREAK*******_

All 7 of us (Total is the seventh) are completely prepared as we look back at the house for the last time before we leave. We had all eaten another meal a few moments previous and have food in our bags for the trip. You know, bird kid appetite gets on my nerves sometimes.

Anyway, I snap out of my reverie and say, "Up and Away guys. We have a School to blow up."

Everyone sighs, but nods and takes to the sky. I watch them fly up for a moment, a small smile gracing my face, then spread my wings. My whole flocks' gazes are on me as I shoot into the open air. Once I reach them, we all tilt our wings and head west. I fly in the front with Fang and Iggy flanking me. Angel and Total follow them while Nudge and Gazzy step up to the responsibility of flying in the back.

The gentle wind ruffled my feathers and I sighed in contentment at being able to fly again. I felt Fang's soft gaze on me, but I ignored it as I lifted my face towards the sun. My blond and red hair flows out behind me as I roll my shoulders to relax them. Closing my eyes, I listen carefully. The flaps of my flocks' wings, each of their personal breathing rhythms, Nudge chatting with Gazzy, Total talking to Angel, Iggy conversing with himself as he triple checks the bombs he and Gazzy had created, and Fang's heartbeat pounding strongly. My enhanced hearing made a big grin cross my relaxed face and I slowly opened my eyes again. The sky was a beautiful blue today, with just a few fluffy clouds in sight.

It's sad how we are flying to get our revenge on such a beautiful day.

**That's it for this chapter; the next is the revenge in action! **

**Please R & R, I need motivation!**

**Also, please check out the poll on my profile! **

**Signing off,**

** Nekoda**


	8. Revenge Part 2

**Greetings readers! Before I get going on and on, I'm going to make it simple. I am extremely sorry.**

**Disclaimer: Me-not owner of MR or any of its characters.**

The flight to the School seemed to take forever. It might have just been the fact that we were flying to our possible doom, but the weight of the world on my shoulders seemed a little heavier. Fang seemed to sense that this was taking a toll on me, because he flew above me and, synching his wings with mine, lightly massaged my shoulders. It hurt so bad at the beginning, as he was hitting every knot ever possible it seemed, but soon the tension in my shoulders had mostly vanished. Now, there was only tension inside of me. My gut seemed to twist, and the last thing I wanted to do was eat but-

"Maaaaax, can we take a break? My wings are tired, and my stomach's growling!" Angel complained from behind me. I sighed, angling my wings down as I spotted a clearing below. The flock did the same and we soon landed lightly in the grass.

"Alright, pull out some food from your packs and go eat in the shade," I ordered. Everyone, even Fang, eagerly did so. Total followed at Angel's feet, his short tail wagging as he prepared his best begging face. I rolled my eyes, and then a hand on my elbow startled me. I yelped, whipping my head around to look. It was Fang, whose eyes were wide due to my reaction. I blew out a breath, holding a hand to my heart. "You frightened me," my voice came out breathily as I tried to slow my heart rate. He smirked, and I so badly wanted to wipe that amazing smirk right off his face. But I restrained myself from doing so. Barely. He gently put his hand on my elbow again, leading me to the where the others were. The warm sun stopped kissing my skin as we stepped into the shade. Fang sat down a few feet from the others, motioning for me to do the same. So I did. He moved his backpack to the ground in front of him, unzipping it and pulling out food. A roast beef, American cheese, and BBQ sauce sandwich on a white roll with nacho cheese Doritos and a Coke.

Just as he was about to take a bite of his sandwich, he must have noticed that I hadn't taken food out of my bag. He motioned at the backpack beside me, but I shook my head.

"I'm not hungry," I told him, and it was his turn to shake his head.

"Eat," he simply ordered, motioning to the backpack at my side.

"I just told you that I'm not-arfkdh," I began to repeat that I wasn't hungry, but he shoved a Dorito in my mouth. I glared at him as I chewed and slowly swallowed. My stomach grumbled happily as it digested the single chip. I sighed, unzipping my backpack and pulling out some food. A turkey sandwich with lettuce, cheese, and tomato along a red apple and a Fanta. Delicious. I didn't look up at Fang, knowing he'd be wearing that same smirk since he got his way against me, but focused on eating. Even though I ate slowly, it was still gone in a matter of 15 minutes. I risked a glance at my watch, reading that it was 3:04 pm. Good, since I was hoping to be at The School around 3:20, so we were even a little early. With a single scan of the flock, I noticed that all of us were done eating and silent.

I don't know what it was about this upcoming fight, but it seemed to be taking a toll on all of us. Fang's mouth was in a grim line, Nudge was silent, Angel and Gazzy had solemn looks in their eyes, Total's tail wasn't wagging and his head hung low, and Iggy had a serious look on his face. Who knows what looked different about me, but I could definitely feel the pressure of this fight. What I couldn't figure out was what was different about this fight than any of our other fights. We've had at least one hundred fights, so what made us all serious over this one? I guess most of our fights had been spontaneous rather than flying into the fight. Other than that, I couldn't think of a single reason that would set this fight apart from all the others.

Swinging my backpack onto my shoulder, I stood and shook the numbness out of my limbs. Fang stood, and all the others did once they noticed our rising. All of their gazes were locked on me, and I met each one with what I hoped was a calm expression.

"Listen, I'm not going to give you a pep talk. We know how to do this, and we do it well. I'm not going to give you a 'if one of us doesn't make it out of this' talk because all of us WILL make it out of this, okay? We're going to go in, give it our absolute best, and make it out alive," I told them in a leader-ly voice that, luckily, didn't shake once. All of them nodded, and I noticed their serious or sad faces turn into those of determination. A small smile graced my face as I took off, my flock following close behind. I was ready.

**(So tempted to end it right there… but I owe you guys BIG TIME.)**

We flew the last… approximately 12 minutes to the School. The large white building loomed up in front of us like a dog amongst a group of cats, sticking out in the green forest. 3 guards stood in front of the main entrance, one on either side and one pacing in front. Another guard stood at each of the 2 side entries and another at the back. Okay… so 6 guards to distract on my own. No problems, as long as they weren't armed…guess I never thought about that before. Oh well. I so badly wanted to hesitate, but I couldn't allow myself that pleasure. I didn't deserve it as I led these kids into their possible death.

"Alright, last thing. I'm going to fly down to distract the guards. When I give you the signal, a sharp cry that is going to sound and look like I'm in pain but I'm not, you will fly down and begin your assigned jobs. Got it? Good," I told them, then the moment I finished talking I tucked in my wings and dive-bombed. I landed on the pacing guards back, wrapping my hands around his neck and giving a quick twist, snapping it before the other guards even reacted. One guard gave out a quick call to the others while the second guard raced toward me. I dropped into a fighting position, smiling evilly. I _lived_ for this, the adrenaline of the fight. When the guard reached me, he whipped out a short blade from his belt and swung at my right shoulder. I dodged back quickly and aimed a left kick at his temple. He ducked under, thinking that was all I had, but as soon as my left foot hit the ground and my back was to the guard, my right leg swung up in a motion that turned me around to face him and hit him in the temple. He dropped like a rock. Three guards faced me now, all in a horizontal row blocking the front doors. The one to my left had a short knife, the one to my right had a short sword, and the one in the middle… had a gun. Crap.

The two guards on either side charged toward me. Once again, I dropped low and tensed my body for the attack. As they came close, I launched myself into the air, spreading out my wings for a moment to keep me in air, and jumped over the men. They spun around and I jumped on the one with the shorter knife. As I held his armed hand in one of my own, I used my other hand to grip his throat. I tilted my head back, and then thrust it forward in order to slam my forehead into the guard's. He dropped down. I rolled off of him quickly in order to face the guard with the longer weapon. Just as I stood, the guard slashed me across my left side. I noticed the last guard running toward us. I gave out a cry of pain, the signal even though it was real.

With my enhanced hearing, I heard teach member of the flock speeding down. Fang landed silently, quietly opening the air vent to the side of the door. He led the flock into the vent system. I breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly focused into my own battle. The guard with the short sword took another swipe at me, and I dodged skillfully. Ignoring the pain racing through my side, I kicked my foot up to hit his wrist and knock his weapon from his hand. I dashed to the grass where it fell, sliding on my knees to grab it quickly and stand back up. The guard charged after me. Right as he went to grab me, I jumped up and sliced the sword through the air. I fell back to the ground, and my feet landed at the same time the guard's body did. Blood poured from the gash in his neck, staining the green grass a deep red. He gurgled, drowning in his own blood, until his eyes glazed over and he bled his life out.

A click and a pressure on my temple snapped me out of my trance. The guard with the gun was holding his loaded gun to my head. I rolled my eyes as he told me to freeze and drop my weapon. The blood-coated sword fell from my hand, clattering to the ground. Just as the guard opened his mouth to tell me to get down, I spun around and kicked him powerfully in the gut. All the air whooshed from his body at the same time that the gun flew out of his grasp. It landed a distance away from us. I picked up my sword again, sprinting to the guard and kneeling on his stomach. His eyes were full of fear and he sputtered about never doing anything, not working for this organization again, and something else until I raised the sword and plunged it into his chest. He let out a quick scream of pain, then it was cut off as his life disappeared from him. I took a deep breath, shutting my eyes.

A shrill alarm pierced my ears and my eyes snapped open again. _They did it! They let the mutants out!_ I thought incredulously to myself. Pride surged through me. I stood up, clutching my right side as blood poured from the wound. I ran to the gun, picked it up, and I quickly sprinted across the field. Shouts and bangs sounded in the building. I went into the vent, remembering the ventilation map I scanned earlier. I followed the system quietly until I reached the hall outside the security room in which my flock had pressed the button to release the mutants. Poking my head through the air vent, I noticed the hall was empty. I dropped down through it, crouching as I landed. I held the gun with both hands, ready if anyone came after me. As fast as I landed, I stood and clenched my teeth at the pain in my side. My head whipped around to look behind me as I heard footsteps. I aimed the gun just in case, but I dropped my aim when a large group of mutants whizzed around the corner and past me. They all greeted me as they ran past. I followed slowly after them. My footsteps seemed to echo off the walls and rang through the air. I heard a few loud shouts and yelps from around the corner and raced over. A familiar group was fighting guards off, and I saw Iggy in a room on one side and Gazzy in a room on the other side placing down trigger bombs.

I noticed Angel scrambling with two guards and jumped in. I roundhouse kicked one of them, and slammed my fist into the other's nose. They both dropped with a smack on the tile flooring. "Max!" exclaimed Angel as she leaped on me in a hug. I hugged her back, then quickly put her down once everyone was ready. They all greeted me in a relieved manner and I greeted them back before waving for them to follow. We jogged back to the security room and checked the monitors.

"There are no more mutants in the building, luckily. But there is one last room we have to place a trigger bomb in," I told them. Iggy placed a hand on my back and I turned to him. He placed a trigger bomb in my hand and I smiled. He knew me too well. The last room we had to go to? Oh, just the room I was kept in.

I had to resist clutching my side in pain as we jogged as fast as we could to the room we were looking for. When we found it, the door was closed. It was a simple wooden door with a window in it that you couldn't even see through. Written on the window was "MAX" in newly dried blood. I swallowed, putting my hand on the doorknob. The flock got into fighting stances behind me as I began to turn the knob. Then, I thought, _You Only Live Once_. I backed up a few steps, then kicked the door so that it slammed into the room and clattered to the ground. A familiar face stood at the end of the door, his eyebrows raised.

"Always had to make an entrance, didn't ya Maxie?" he asked. A growl built up in my throat.

"Long time no see Ari," I spit out. He smiled menacingly.

"How bout it Maxie? One last fight… to the death?" he asked and a trace of drool came from his mouth. I grimaced. Gross. Fang laid a hand on my right shoulder and I looked over to him.

"You don't need to do this," he told me even though he knew I did.

"Yes I do Fang, you know that," I replied, and he nodded. Though, he did not look happy at all. I smiled even though it was false and lightly pulled him down for a quick kiss. He parted his lips, like he wanted to linger there, but I pulled away. Backing away a few steps, a heavy sigh racked his body.

I walked into the room, stepping onto the door and standing a foot or two away from Ari. He dropped down to a crouch and I mimicked his position. A snarl ripped up his throat and he bared his wolfish teeth at me as we slowly circled each other. I rolled my eyes, growling back and baring my fox teeth at him. He smirked and lunged for me. I sidestepped and he flew past me, skidding as he landed. I spun around to face him and lunged onto his back. He roared, spinning around to try and throw me off. It didn't work as I dug my nails into his shoulders, drawing blood. He finally jumped to the side, slamming us both into the wall. I yelped, rolling off of him as he tried to slam me into the other wall. I clutched my bloodied side that he hit on the wall. Glancing over, I saw that I had left a bloodstain on the once white wall. I couldn't help but chuckle a little. But I was once again snapped out of my thoughts by being hurt as Ari clawed across my left cheek. I gasped, but quickly ducked down and spun my leg out, knocking his feet from under him. He landed flat on his back and I quickly kicked his side. My side hurt, my cheek stung, and I was starting to get dizzy. I was so done with this by now.

A click sounded as I took the safety off the gun and aimed it at Ari's chest. He gaped up at me. I smiled sadly.

"You never said anything about weapons little brother," I told him grimly. He closed his mouth and nodded.

"Go ahead, shoot me," he sighed out. I shook my head, chuckling to myself.

"Ya know, at the beginning of this fight I truly thought I would kill you. But now that I'm in the perfect position to do so, I can't kill you yet. You have longer to live Ari, we both know that," I muttered. He got a soft look in his eyes, but it disappeared as he kicked his legs up, kicked the gun from my hand, stood up, and grabbed the gun from the air in the time it took me to blink. Next thing I knew, I had a gun in between my eyes. The flock sucked in a breath, yet I remained scarily calm as I stared into the barrel of the gun, my possible death. Ari laughed.

"Looks like the positions are switched, huh? I finally get to kill you. I've been waiting for this day ya know. It's taken long enough," he growled out the last sentence, causing me to roll my eyes. Just as he opened his mouth to start talking again, I kicked up my leg and hit him where the sun doesn't shine. He groaned and the gun clattered to the floor. Before I could think about it, I ducked down to grab it and a gunshot rang through the building.

My breathing was ragged as Ari clutched his chest and stumbled. His shoulder leaned against the wall and he slowly slid down it until he was sitting. Deep red blood oozed from the bullet wound in his chest. I, on the other hand, went numb. I had killed my little brother, half-brother, whatever. I sank down to my knees, my eyes locked on my hands resting on my thighs. The gun had fallen from my hands as soon as I had released the bullet. Footsteps approached behind me and a hand was soon rested on my left shoulder. I looked up to see Fang looking down at me with worry and fear in his eyes. I put my hand on top of his, a sob escaping my body. He leaned down and scooped me up bridal style, my left side pressing into his chest. Quickly, I turned my face into his shirt so the others didn't have to see the tears that escaped my eyes.

The time it took to escape the building blurred past. I don't recall the others having to fight anyone, I think we had a clear escape. What I do remember was being put back on my feet a distance away from the building and hearing Iggy's voice counting down from 3. When he hit zero, his pale thumb pressed the trigger button down. All the bombs set off at once, and a large mushroom cloud of black smoke rose into the air. My tears had dried, and I just felt numb by then. Blood still leaked slowly from the wound on my side but my black t-shirt disguised it for now, and the blood from my cheek had crusted over. Fang realized he had to take over as leader until I snapped out of my state of shock and ordered for an up and away. His olive-skinned, gentle hand grasped mine and his dark eyes looked deep into my own. Most likely seeing the pain hidden in my brown orbs, he kissed my forehead and promised he'd take care of me. I nodded and he took off, hovering as he waited for me. Glancing one last time at the ashes of the once ominous building, I spread my wings and took off into the air.

The sun was setting as I led my flock towards home, and it cast rays of pink across the sky. Even though pink is, like, my least favorite color, it was a sweet sight to see after such a rough time. And I think everyone else appreciated it to, because they all had soft smiles on their faces when I glanced back at them. Nobody complained that they were tired or hungry on the flight home, which I was very grateful for, and the flight home seemed pretty easy. When the house was in sight, I think we all increased our speed a little bit and we landed a little clumsily since our legs weren't used to being used after the long flight. I walked up to the front door, swerving as I walked since I was still dizzy, and took the key out from under the mat. I know, how cliché. Get over it.

Inserting the key into the lock, I twisted it and opened the door. Home. Sweet. Home.

**Now, before you freak out, there's at least one more chapter and possibly an epilogue. But, I need ideas and inspiration. So, please, I beg of you, review?**


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